(Posted 01/20/09, 1:32 pm Pakistan time)
Hoping to take advantage of a few hours of storm reprieve, Qadrat and I left mid-morning yesterday (Jan 19th) for Camp 1. My plan was to stay the night there and then climb to Camp 2 today, sleeping one night there and carrying my share of the summit push supplies, then returning to Base Camp to wait out the next spell of bad weather. During our ascent to Camp 1, Qadrat and I spent much time and energy digging and pulling out the ropes buried under 3 feet of deep, hard, Styrofoam-y, snow - a strenuous process that left both of us a little sore in the shoulders.

The final few meters below Camp 1 consist of loose, low-angled scree - but you don't want to drop something, fall, or kick off any rocks here, for any such bombs end up showering the lower slopes. But yesterday we used little caution on these slopes, since we were the only ones on the mountain; Artur, Robert, Amin, Ali, and Taqi, would follow up the next day carrying their supplies to Camp 2 and returning to base camp that same day (today).

Yesterday, as we approached Camp 1 on these loose slopes, Qadrat picked up a piece of silver tent pole and showed it to me. "Rats," I said. A few steps later, another bent and broken tent pole was found. Then another. By the time we reached Camp 1, we had a handful of broken tent poles and pieces, and could now see why - our tent had been destroyed by the wind. Fortunately, most of our gear and supplies were safely and neatly stashed in canvas bags and left beside the tent. The depot bags were still there, with all the contents inside. My plan to spend the night was now defunct, so we produced another canvas bag which we had just carried up from base camp, filled it with the loads on our backs, and headed down.

I've just heard from Amin via radio from Camp 2 that the tent there is fine. In the wise but simple words of Forrest Gump, "Good. Just one less thing."

Keep a watch on next week's weather...today is the first day of sunshine in 12 days.

Don